 | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Bombay,British India |
| Locale | British India |
| Dates of operation | 1 August 1849–5 November 1951 |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 5'6" or 1676 mm |
| Great Indian Peninsula Railway Company Act 1849 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Long title | An Act to incorporate the Great Indian Peninsula Railway Company, and for purposes connected therewith. |
| Citation | 12 & 13 Vict. c. lxxxiii |
| Territorial extent | British Raj |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 1 August 1849 |
| Other legislation | |
| Amended by |
|
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
TheGreat Indian Peninsula Railway (reporting markGIPR) was a predecessor of theCentral Railway (and by extension, the current state-ownedIndian Railways), whose headquarters was at theBoree Bunder inMumbai (later, the Victoria Terminus and presently theChhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus). The Great Indian Peninsula Railway Company was incorporated on 1 August 1849 by theGreat Indian Peninsula Railway Company Act 1849 (12 & 13 Vict. c. lxxxiii) of theParliament of the United Kingdom. It had a share capital of 50,000 pounds. On 21 August 1847 it entered into a formal contract with theEast India Company for the construction and operation of a railway line, 56 km long, to form part of a trunk line connectingBombay withKhandesh andBerar and generally with the other presidencies of India.[1] The Court of Directors of the East India Company appointed James John Berkeley[2][3][4] as Chief Resident Engineer and Charles Buchanan Ker and Robert Wilfred Graham as his assistants.[5] It was India's first passenger railway, the original 21 miles (33.8 km) section opening in 1853, between Bombay (Mumbai) and Tanna (nowThane). On 1 July 1925, its management was taken over by the government.[6] On 5 November 1951, it was incorporated into the Central Railway.
| Great Indian Peninsula Railway Company Act 1854 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
| |
| Long title | An Act to amend the Act incorporating the Great Indian Peninsula Railway Company, and for other Purposes connected therewith. |
| Citation | 17 & 18 Vict. c. xliv |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 2 June 1854 |
| Other legislation | |
| Amends |
|
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
The Great Indian Peninsula Railway was incorporated as a company in 1849 byJohn Chapman, with its head office in London.[7] The line was initially proposed to run for a length of 1,300 mi (2,100 km), to connect Bombay with the interior of the Indian peninsula and to the major port of Madras (Chennai) on the east coast. It was intended to connect the towns of Poona (Pune), Nassuek (Nashik), Aurungabad (Aurangabad), Ahmednuggur (Ahmednagar), Sholapoor (Solapur),Nagpur,Akola (West Berar), Oomrawutty (Amravati), andHyderabad. It was meant for the purpose of increasing the export of cotton, silk, opium, sugar and spices.[8]
The management committee consisted of 25 British men, including officials of theEast India Company and banks in London, most of whom resided in Britain and some who had resided in India. The original 25 person board consisted of people such asJohn Stuart-Wortley andWilliam Hamilton (both MPs from Britain who became the company's chairman and deputy chairman), Frederick Ayrton (ex-East India Company), cavalrymen such as Major Clayton and Major-General Briggs, Bombay residents John Graham, Col. Dickenson,Hon. Jugonnath Sunkersett andSir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy,[9] bankers such as John Harvey (Commercial Bank of London) and S. Jervis (Director of theLondon and County Bank,Lombard Street), and directors of other railway companies such as Richard Paterson (Chairman of theNorthern and Eastern Railway Company) and Melvil Wilson (Director of the Alliance Assurance Office).[10]
An year after the passing of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway Company Act 1849 (12 & 13 Vict. c. lxxxiii), the first sod was turned ('Bhoomipujan' was done) of the first rail line atSion on 30 October 1850, by the Chief secretary of Bombay Government, John P. Willoughby. The line was meant to be an "experimental line" between Bombay andThana, whose gauge was set at5' 6'' (1676 mm) by Governor GeneralLord Dalhousie in January 1851. The contract for this segment was handed to the contractors Faviell and Fowler, while the next segment from Tannah toCallian (today's Kalyan) to contractors George Wythes and William Jackson along with Jamsetjee Dorabjee Naegamwalla.[11]
Work began, but was soon slowed down by heavy showers in October 1851. This was the same year the first locomotives for this line (LocomotivesGIP-1 to 8) were built at theVulcan Foundry in England. Several problems were encountered, for instance, the laying of the line among the swamp at Sion, worker strikes, among others. Then there was a question of whether the experimental line be a single line, or a double line. The contract opted for the latter option, but there were other ideas. Doing this would have saved money. In the end, the Government of Bombay asked to retain the 'double line' option, owing to complications in contracts and finances.
The following year, in 1852, Bombay received its first locomotive. Built byE. B. Wilson, the same firm that builtRoorkee's locomotive Thomason, it was brought by sea to Bombay. TheBombay Telegraph of 17 February states that "She had been landed six days ..." suggesting that the locomotive landed in Bombay on 11 or 12 February 1852. On its arrival, it was pulled down a public road by 200 coolies, before it was put on the rails. This Locomotive was named "Lord Falkland" after the then Governor of Bombay,Lucius Bentinck Cary, who reportedly left the city on the eve of the occasion.
It was stationed on a land inByculla, previously used for planting toddy. This plot of land, belonging to William Phipps, among others, was bought by the GIPR at a cost of ₹4000. This locomotive was atank engine, meaning that it had all its fuel, water and boiler on the same frame, not having an external tender wagon. Four wheels were attached to the cranked driving shaft, and placed in the center. The Telegraph further stated that efforts were made to prepare the loco for work by 'the end of the week'.
The locomotive had its first run on 18 February 1852 from its stationing at Byculla, toParel. Thousands crowded around the place, watching the loco at the entrance of its shed. The excitement was immense, with the natives amazed when the loco commenced its maiden journey. The engine started at a walking speed, later travelling at 15 miles an hour (about 24 km/h). A crowd ran after the moving contraption, hardly leaving the tracks clear. The locomotive traveled the 2 miles (3.2 km) between Byculla and Parel, waiting at its destination for some time. The second trip was completed, notably with a lady being among the passengers. On both trips the loco was stopped briefly, to correct some small matters; however, the engine was found to be in proper order.[12]
Around this time there arose debates on what vocabulary be introduced for the railways in native languages. The natives had already started referring to railways, in their language, some calling it "Aag Boat"' (the term for steam boats). Without proper words to describe the railway systems, even the 1854 translation of the Lardner's Rail Economy (translated by Krishnashastri Bhatwadekar in Marathi) referred to rail roads as "Lokhandi Rustey" the term for Iron Roads, hence even the name of the book wasLokhandi Rustyanche Sunshipt Vurnan (translated as "A Short Account of Iron Roads"). Some translations were soon suggested.
The locomotive in its shed at Byculla drew crowds of thousands from over the city. When it began its operations, sometimes carrying twelve wagons of Ballast up the steep slopes, the natives standing in the way in astonishment. For the natives, it was a mesmerizing experience, for they had never seen such an immensity traveling on rails. Not satisfied by watching from sides, the crowds would come extremely close to the operating locomotive, only paving way when the loco came a few meters away. Police was ordered around the line for the safety of the observers. Finally twelve men with sticks were employed for this duty. Some people sought an opportunity, setting up stalls of Toddy and cakes, to sell to the visitors.
The same year, three Locomotives and the rail carriages arrived on the ship,Charles along with six European locomotive drivers in September 1852.[12]
The first trial run was conducted between Bombay and Thane on 18 November 1852, at noon. The locomotives and the carriages were not yet in order (having arrived only 2 months previously). Hence the same Lord Falkland was employed as the locomotive, with trucks, temporarily fitted to be used as carriages. The journey was to start at noon, reaching the destination of Parsick (Parsik) point at about 1 p.m. They were to have theirtiffin in the tunnel there, and to return at sunset, as reported by theAllen's Indian Mail of 1852. The passengers were the engineers, directors and their friends. The journey started soon after twelve p.m., later halting at near the beginning of the Salsette island for refilling water. The entire journey was extensively described by the newspaperThe Bombay Times and Journal of Commerce (nowThe Times of India). The journey was reported completed in 45 mins, the highest speed being 50 mph (about 80 km/h), with the average of 30 mph (about 48 km/h). This journey paved the way for the first official run, the following year, on 16 April 1853, that formally began the era of the Indian Railways.
On 16 April 1853 at 3:35 pm, the first passenger train of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway leftBoree Bunder station inBombay (present dayMumbai) for Thana (present dayThane).[13] The train took fifty-seven minutes to reach Tanna.[14] It covered a distance of 21 miles (33.8 km). Three locomotives namedSultan,Sindh andSahib of theGIP-1 class pulled the 14 carriages carrying 400 passengers on board.[5]
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The portion of the line from Tanna toCallian (present day Kalyan) was opened on 1 May 1854. The construction of this portion was difficult as it involved two-line viaducts over the estuary (see picture on right) and two tunnels.[15]
On 12 May 1856 the line was extended toCampoolie (present day Khopoli) viaPadusdhurree (present day Palasdhari) and on 14 June 1858Khandala-Poona (present day Pune) section was opened to traffic. The Padusdhurree-Khandala section involved the difficult crossing of theBhore Ghat (present day Bhor Ghat) and it took another five years for completion. During this period, the 21 km gap was covered bypalanquin,pony or cart through the village of Campoolie.
TheKassarah (present day Kasara) line was opened on 1 January 1861 and the steepThull ghat (present day Thal Ghat) section up toEgutpoora (present day Igatpuri) was opened on 1 January 1865 and thus completed the crossing of theSahyadri.[14]
BeyondCallian, the south-east main line proceeded overBhor Ghat to Poona,Sholapore (present day Solapur) andRaichore (present day Raichur), where it joined theMadras Railway. By 1868, route kilometerage was 888 km and by 1870, route kilometerage was 2,388.[16][17]
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BeyondCallian (present dayKalyan), the north-east main line proceeded over the Thull ghat toBhosawal (present dayBhusawal). From Bhosawal, there was a bifurcation. One passed through great cotton districts ofAkola (West Berar) andOomravuttee (present day Amravati) and was extended up toNagpore (present day Nagpur) and then to Raj-nandgaon inDrug district (Present day Durg). The other was extended up toJubbulpore (present day Jabalpur) to connect with the Allahabad-Jubbulpore branch line of theEast Indian Railway which had been opened in June 1867. Hence it became possible to travel directly fromBombay toCalcutta.
TheHowrah-Allahabad-Mumbai line was officially opened on 7 March 1870 and it was part of the inspiration for French writerJules Verne's bookAround the World in Eighty Days. Although, in the novel it is erroneously claimed that the line passes throughAurangabad (which is, again erroneously claimed as the capital of the EmperorAurangzeb Alamgeer). At that time period, line had not reached Aurangabad but rather moved northward after reachingBhusawal towardsJabalpur. At the opening ceremony, the ViceroyLord Mayo concluded that "it was thought desirable that, if possible, at the earliest possible moment, the whole country should be covered with a network of lines in a uniform system".
TheHarbour (Branch) line of the GIPR was the first passenger railway line to be electrified in India. The first train on this section ran on 3 February 1925 between Bombay'sVictoria Terminus andKurla, a distance of 16 km. The ceremony was attended by Bombay's governor,Sir Leslie Orme Wilson and his wife.[18] The inauguration was held on Platform no.2 of Victoria Terminus. The line was opened to traffic after Sir L. Wilson signalled to the power station at Wadi Bunder to connect the conductor wire into the circuit.[19] The route included the elevated corridor atSandhurst Rd, on the way to Kurla.
By the end of 1874 the company owned 345 steam locomotives, 1,309 coaches and 7,924 goods wagons.[20] In 1906 asteam railcar fromKerr, Stuart and Company was purchased.[21] By 1936, the rolling stock had increased to 835 locomotives, 1,285 coaches and more than 20,000 freight wagons.[22]
It was labeled as a Class I railway according toIndian Railway Classification System of 1926.[23][24]
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| National | |
| Other | |
